Psych Explantions Ao1 Forensics Cogntive

Question 1

2 cog explanations

Answer 1

Cognitive distortion (hostile attribution bias and minimalisation)
Kohlbergs theory of moral reasoning

Question 2

Cognitive distortions

Answer 2

Faulty biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves other people and or the world in a way that does not match reality and is usually negative
Therefore a persons perception of events.

Question 3

What do cog distortions allow

Answer 3

Allow an offender to deny (reduce neg emotions) or rationalise (justify) their criminal beh

Question 4

2 examples of cog distortions

Answer 4

Hostile attribution bias
Minimisation

Question 5

What is hostile attribution bias

Answer 5

Tendency to misread/misinterperet other peoples actions words or expressions as aggressive, proactive or threatening when in reality they are not
Offenders may misread non aggressive cues as beinf looked at funny which can trigger disproportionate and often violent response/assault
Allowing offenders to rationalise their offending behaviour by blaming other factors for it eg blaming the victims “they shouldn’t have looked at me like that”

Question 6

What is minimalisation

Answer 6

The attempt to downplay the seriousness or trivialising the importance of ones own offence to explain the consequences as less damaging than they really are
This helps the individual to accept the consequences of their own offences and reduce their neg emotions such as guilt associated with crime
Eg a burglar thinking stealing some things from a wealthy family won’t really affect their lives